Oscars nominations announced in L.A.

THE nominees for the 88th Academy Awards have been announced in L.A. by directors Guillermo del Toro and Ang Lee, actor John Krasinski and Academy President Cheryl Boone.

The Revenant leads the race with 12 nominations, followed by Mad Max: Fury Road on 10.

Both films are honoured in the Best Picture category, joined by The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, The Martian, Room and Spotlight.

The Revenant comes from director Alejandro G. Inarittu, who is also nominated for Best Director, picked up Best Film last year for Birdman, and just collected outstanding film and director awards at the Golden Globes. A huge year for the Mexican filmmaker.

Leonardo DiCaprio looks a dead cert to finally land his first Leading Actor Oscar, while the Leading Actress field is more open, with Cate Blanchett (Carol), Jennifer Lawrence (Joy) and Brie Larson (Room) all in the mix.